Inside these questions and my deep sense of nostalgia was a thick layer of grief – a love and appreciation for my holiday traditions mixed with the unwelcome reality that it won’t ever really be the same again.

As the church, we have a duty to each other – both to humbly be a burden and obediently carry the burdens of others.

Laments are not simply cries for help or complaints with no purpose. Rather, they are prayers that serve to realign our hearts with God.